topic Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker? in Selling

What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

dealuxe_store — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 08:41:40 GMT

I sold an item to a customer and sent it to their address which was a parcel locker. I sent the item with my courier, and the parcel was subsequently rejected by the parcel locker as it is an Australia Post service and couriers need to pay an additional fee to lodge into the AP network. The parcel has been returned to me.

I had a look on the AP website and read that

"Other carriers / delivery providers can deliver items to a 24/7 Parcel Locker as long as they lodge the articles into our network and pay for this service.

StarTrack is a subsidiary of Australia Post, and parcels carried by StarTrack will be accepted for delivery into 24/7 Parcel Lockers.

Where possible, you should check with the sender or company you are buying from which delivery providers they use.

Delivery providers who do not wish to lodge your parcel into the Australia Post network for delivery to your parcel locker, should follow current standard procedure for carriers, which is to contact you or the sender to organise alternative delivery or pick-up options.".

After reading this, I believe it is up to the customer to check with the seller what service they use to ensure that the package will be accepted by their parcel locker. My listing had stated Courier delivery in the listing.

I sent the customer an invoice for redelivery fee but the customer now wants me to resend the package out of my own pocket to their home address.

Who would have thought that a "Parcel Locker" only accepts parcels from only AP?

Has anyone else had a similar experience and who is in the right here?

I feel like I am being held to ransom by the negative feedback system as even though I believe I am in the right, the customer will be able to leave me negative feedback and likely force a refund from my Paypal account.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

alan1o — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 08:46:48 GMT

Assuming a courier can deliver to an AP facility seems very unlikely they never could before

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

dealuxe_store — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 08:54:10 GMT

@alan1o wrote:
Assuming a courier can deliver to an AP facility seems very unlikely they never could before

This is the first time I have dealt with a Parcel Locker so did not know that a courier could not deliver to one.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

digital*ghost — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 09:03:05 GMT

In my experience, the buyer has the ability to redirect the package before it has been returned if the courier is given an address they can't deliver to - not sure if that's the case with your courier, but if so, the buyer had two options (as in, provide a deliverable address, or redirect it to a deliverable address - and addresses are the responsibility of the buyer).

That being said, I'm in two minds as your listings don't seem to indicate that you use a courier, except for the express service. Sometimes I buy from a seller and choose standard delivery via Australia Post, but they decide to upgrade my package to express via DHL or UPS, which can be really annoying because I like to use my PO box for as many parcels as possible to avoid having to wait at home for deliveries, so then I have to make different arrangements - I do this as soon as soon as it is possible, though, so the package is never returned to the seller.

I guess wht I'm saying is, if I were the seller, if the buyer knew that a courier was being used, they should bear responsibility for providing an address the package couldn't be delivered to, if I hadn't made that clear to them, I would accept the responsibility.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

dealuxe_store — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 09:14:55 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
In my experience, the buyer has the ability to redirect the package before it has been returned if the courier is given an address they can't deliver to - not sure if that's the case with your courier, but if so, the buyer had two options (as in, provide a deliverable address, or redirect it to a deliverable address - and addresses are the responsibility of the buyer).

That being said, I'm in two minds as your listings don't seem to indicate that you use a courier, except for the express service. Sometimes I buy from a seller and choose standard delivery via Australia Post, but they decide to upgrade my package to express via DHL or UPS, which can be really annoying because I like to use my PO box for as many parcels as possible to avoid having to wait at home for deliveries, so then I have to make different arrangements - I do this as soon as soon as it is possible, though, so the package is never returned to the seller.

I guess wht I'm saying is, if I were the seller, if the buyer knew that a courier was being used, they should bear responsibility for providing an address the package couldn't be delivered to, if I hadn't made that clear to them, I would accept the responsibility.

Thanks for your response. The courier didn't have that option.

At the time that the customer purchased the package, the only form of shipping that was listed was "Courier" so they would have been aware of that (Assuming that they read it).

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

phorum_junkie* — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 10:36:42 GMT

Did you make it clear in the listing that it was courier delivery and could only be delivered to a street address? It is possible when using courier delivery to set things up so a PO box address will not allow payment and the buyer will see a pop up appear when they try to buy if their primary delivery address is a PO box but I do not know if you can set it up for parcel lockers.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 10:54:48 GMT

Australia Post, which bombards my letterbox with pushy advertising for this parcel locker service, has Not Once stated that the service is only for AP articles, and Startrack as an AP associated courier.

Thank you for posting, if only to make that known.

As the AP flyer ads say it is the same as having an address.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

davewil1964 — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 10:58:07 GMT

I would have assumed an AP service would only be for AP posted items. But that's just me.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

digital*ghost — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 11:24:11 GMT

There's actually a few things that can't be sent to a parcel locker, which are sent via Aus Post (eg letters and anything requiring signature on delivery - if they're sent using AP, though, the items are supposed to be forwarded on to the address used to sign up for the locker. So, even if the courier items were ultimately lodged with AP for delivery, if they required SOD - as most couriers do - it never would have gone to the locker anyway).

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 12:47:24 GMT

Dave, what I have been sent clearly states that a parcel locker gives the holder the equivalent to a street address.

no disclaimers. Using that term, is the problem. As it encourages the thought that it is, in fact, what they say it is.

A new street address for your mail in general.

but since I personally, have zero interest in helping to put my nice AP delivery guys out of work, it is a moot point for me.

But one ghat it is good to get clarified...as AP states it in a way that is erroneous. It is not a street address equivalent.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 12:50:29 GMT

And that isn't just me...AP staff have been telling people to sign up to receive all mail, not AP only. At my local mail centre.

so they are reading it as an address, too.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:00:40 GMT

Thanks Digi. I will pass all of this on to my local AP mail centre. As they are giving out the wrong impression/information.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

*crikey*mate* — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:12:59 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
I would have assumed an AP service would only be for AP posted items. But that's just me.

24/7 Parcel Lockers What types of mail items can't be sent to my 24/7 Parcel Locker?

See using your 24/7 Parcel Locker for complete details of items that can and can't be sent to Parcel Lockers, including:

items not accepted to 24/7 Parcel Lockers
items delivered by carriers other than Australia Post
international items.

..............

You assume correctly, Dave - it's all there on the AP website.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:20:14 GMT

Which does not refute the point I made.

that (some) AP staff are advising the service is a general one, erroneously.

but thank you for the link, which I will add to Digi's input for my local AP staff. Who are telling people the wrong information.

I asked about a locker a little while ago...and was told it was fine for all deliveries. Which is wrong. That is good to know.

but I do not want my local delivery guys to get less work, so it was a no after all.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

davewil1964 — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:26:18 GMT

I stand vindicated.

And all I used was commonsense, as opposed to semantics.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 13:31:18 GMT

You are fine Dave...it is my local staff who need to see what is on their website.

my point is, that the buyer in the opening post, may have been told the same thing, Not to worry about deliveries.

I did not go to the website as I was not interested in a locker, when I thought it through to the level of jobs.

I tend to read anything related to what I sign, though. If it reached that stage. Which it didn't. But it would have for the buyer.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

digital*ghost — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:02:04 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
I stand vindicated.

And all I used was commonsense, as opposed to semantics.

Common sense might also have someone questioning the purpose of parcel lockers if they are almost identical to PO boxes, except that even less things can be delivered to them (but you might be able to get your stuff 24 hours a day). Some people might be under the impression there's more advantage to them than collection times, particularly if AP's own staff are advising so, and that just because AP are getting money out of it, doesn't mean they're not solving a bigger problem than who can / can't go to their local PO during business hours. It's not like AP don't provide certain services on behalf of other companies already. 😉

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

*crikey*mate* — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:02:16 GMT

@davewil1964 wrote:
I stand vindicated.

And all I used was commonsense, as opposed to semantics.

well it does make sense - why would AP offer to handle anyone elses parcels for which they get no recompense?

I must share your sense (on this occasion) because it never occurred to me that AP would allow a different carrier to use a service they provide free of charge to another carrier without payment or prior arrangement.

It's kind of like Fedex expecting AP to deliver their parcels without paying any money to AP

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

amber-eyed-girl — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:08:18 GMT

The information that AP sends me on the flyers is:

24/7 at your convenience, collection

free street address

no need to collect from post office during the day

all are positives. Nowhere does it say that it is limited to some AP deliveries (thanks Digi), or that couriers cannot use that address. And couriers can leave items now, at the post office (at least the ones I have had sellers use).

the full terms and conditions, would be on the link given by Crikey. Which is not given on their flyer, either.

AP does have arrangements for services with others. Fedex leaves parcels at my local post office. That may be a driver arrangement...that I do not know.

but, it is in the interest of anyone thinking of the locker to read all they can before signing up.

Re: What to do in a situation with a Parcel locker?

*crikey*mate* — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:11:03 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
@davewil1964 wrote:
I stand vindicated.

And all I used was commonsense, as opposed to semantics.
Common sense might also have someone questioning the purpose of parcel lockers if they are almost identical to PO boxes, except that even less things can be delivered to them (but you might be able to get your stuff 24 hours a day). Some people might be under the impression there's more advantage to them than collection times, particularly if AP's own staff are advising so, and that just because AP are getting money out of it, doesn't mean they're not solving a bigger problem than who can / can't go to their local PO during business hours. It's not like AP don't provide certain services on behalf of other companies already. 😉

I wondered this too

but here is what i came up with

the parcel lockers are free to use - whereas a PO Box costs money

also, a PO box is pretty limited by size, whereas the lockers - you don't get a designated long term locker - AP have a look at the size of your parcel and go "this will fit in locker 75" (next time it may be locker 26) (they have several diofferent sized lockers)

Then, when you go to collect your locker withb your special code - the door pops open that contains your parcel. (I was a bit curious how the commubnal locker thing worked - I initially thought they put a few parcels into one place and all of you collected your parcel on an honour system and were trusted not to take someone elses - so I knew this wouldn't fly, so looked furthewr LOL)

The benefit for AP is that they are excluding their competition and promoting the use of their services

Also, because they are free, more people are likely to use them thus reducing staff time in post centres, reducing storage time in centres (from 5 days down to 2) and probably the workload of the postman/delivery driver as people redirect their parcels there absolving AP of the responsibility of delivering to the door

The benefit for the consumer is it is free

am wondering now, that because it is called parcel post locker - can general mail be delivered to it? you know, like letters? I wonder this simply because for letters Ap have no competition, so they have no need to spend money trying to exclude any.